After out-playing England at Old Trafford and beginning this test well, am I feeling any more chipper about our Ashes campaign?
Not really, no. The Poms showed a lack of ticker at Old Trafford. We bowled very well. They did not. This showed a lack of killer instinct, laziness or softness, that means their talents will not always be best deployed. Moreover, it was a Test played largely in Australian conditions. We’ll win some at home.
But none of this is new. We already knew our pace attack was good. We already knew England was not as strong as first thought. I had already updated my prediction to 8-2 after the first test. After the Old Trafford draw I’ll round it down to 7-2.
The weekend action went to script as well. Chris Rogers is our English specialist and played like it, nudging around the ball on a slow and juicy wicket for a soporific and thoroughly admirable ton. Shane Watson looked much better down the order and would have stayed there had he not broken down. If his injury keeps him out, the selectors will have to pick either either Starc or Agar, or leave the batting worryingly short. The latest word is that he will bat in the second dig.
Ian Bell is a cut above every other batsmen in this series. He has always been a class player but, like many others of his generation, could only express it once the greatest bowler of my lifetime, Shane Warne, had retired. What I would pay to see Warnie back today! At least Nathan Lyon has discovered some new potency around the wicket.
So, tonight our diminutive batsmen will have a chance to win this Test. I have hope but little faith. The current lead is 202 and England still has five wickets in hand. We’ll likely be chasing 250 or so on a deteriorating and already tough track.
I am not alone in my pain, according to the SMH poll:
